The 54th Kyiv International Film Festival "Molodist" starts: new identity, international premieres, star jury and award for contribution to Ukrainian art
From October 25 to November 2, the capital of Ukraine will become the main center of young world cinema - the 54th edition of the Kyiv International Film Festival "Molodist" will be held in Kyiv. This is the oldest and only film festival in Ukraine, certified by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations), which is included in the list of specialized world film events and every year discovers new voices in modern cinema. The program includes 158 films from 59 countries. The media partners of the film festival are 1+1 media, TET and Kyivstar TV.
"Molodist" remains one of the largest film festivals in Ukraine, showing about 200 films from all over the world. The program of the international competition will include feature-length and short debuts, as well as student films. Viewers will be able to see works selected from among the participants and laureates of such prestigious forums as the Cannes, Berlin, Venice Film Festivals, Karlovy Vary and other world platforms. The festival locations are the Zhovten Cinema (26 Kostyantynivska St.) and the Cinema House (6 Saksaganskogo St.), where the opening ceremony and award ceremony will also be held.
This year, Molodist is presenting itself with an updated visual image. The identity, developed by the creative agency McCann Kyiv, is based on the concept of youth as a state of mind that is not lost over time, but is revived through cinema. In a bright neon palette — from light green to fuchsia — the emotional slogan of the festival comes to life: “Look for [Molodist] in cinema,” which hints that true renewal comes not from cosmetics, but from a deep personal experience of stories on the big screen.
A special event of the opening will be the presentation of an honorary award — the Scythian Deer statuette for his contribution to Ukrainian cinema. This year, it will be received by director Serhiy Masloboyshchykov. In January of this year, a retrospective of his films was held with great success at the Rotterdam Film Festival. The director’s latest film — “Yasa”, the world premiere of which took place in 2024 at the Odessa Film Festival, is set in Ukraine in 2015 in the form of a confessional dialogue between two women — mothers Hanna and Darka, who are experiencing the joint loss of their boyfriend Dani, who died on Maidan during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Through an intimate story of loss, the film raises complex questions of moral choice, a corrupt past, and the price that society pays for the pursuit of dignity.
The winner of the Grand Prix for the best film of the International Competition Program will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the traditional statuette of the festival - "Scythian Deer". The best film of the documentary competition will receive a cash prize of $2,000 from the general technological partner of the festival Hisense.
The jury of the 54th Molodist includes famous artists, producers and critics from Ukraine and the world. The international jury includes Valeria Sochyvets, Joanna Lapinska, Luka Chichovany, Antoine Arzhakovsky and Lyubov Yakymchuk. The national competition will be judged by Gala Kozyutynska, Giuseppe Garau and H. D. Fernandez Molero. The documentary competition will be evaluated by Yolande Zoberman, Volodymyr Mula and Thor Fosse. A separate award will be determined by members of the Union of Film Critics of Ukraine - Yana Dudko, Oleksandr Gusev and Ihor Kromf.
Festival and student passes are available for sale, which can also be purchased by film school students. The full program of the 54th Molodist is available on the website.
The festival is supported by the State Film Agency of Ukraine and the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine.
